Growing Gardeners Program Vegetable Gardening Handbook for Beginners UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County Advice to Grow By [This Page Intentionally Left Blank] The UC Master Gardener Program is a public service and outreach program under the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, administered locally by participating UC Cooperative Extension county offices. Since 1981, the University of California Master Gardener Program has been extending UC research-based information about home horticulture and pest management to the public. “To extend research-based knowledge and information on home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices to the residents of California and be guided by our core values and strategic initiatives.” - UC Master Gardener Program Mission Statement iii The Growing Gardeners Program helps beginner gardeners start their own gardens quickly and easily in a container, in the backyard, or at a community garden iv Vegetable Gardening Handbook for Beginners UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County Growing Gardeners Program Program Coordinator: Darlene DeRose, UC Master Gardener, Contra Costa County University of California Cooperative Extension 2380 Bisso Lane, Suite B Concord, CA 94520 http://ccmg.ucanr.edu Adapted from the original UCCE-Los Angeles County version by Yvonne Savio and Valerie Borel Rachel Surls, Ph.D., editor October 2018 It is the policy of the University of California (UC) and the UC Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources not to engage in discrimination against or harassment of any person in any of its programs or activities (Complete nondiscrimination policy statement can be found at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ anrstaff/files/215252.pdf). Inquiries regarding ANR’s nondiscrimination policies may be directed to UCANR, Affirmative Action Compliance & Title IX Officer, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 2801 Second Street, Davis, CA 95618, (530) 750-1397. History of the Project The Growing Gardeners Program was adapted from the Grow L.A. Victory Garden Initiative, a program of the UC Master Gardener Program of Los Angeles County, which was started in 2010 to support beginning gardeners. The initial project in L.A. was named after the World War II-era Victory Garden movement, which rallied the country around home food production to enhance national security. Food matters just as much, if not more, today. Research shows that eating more vegetables improves health, reduces obesity, and cuts down on the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Having a garden helps save on grocery bills when economic times are tough. A vegetable garden can be planted in a backyard, in pots on a balcony, or in a community garden. Gardening is easy once you get the hang of it, but beginning gardeners may need some extra attention and support the first time out. This Handbook is a companion piece for classes being conducted by the UC Master Gardener volunteers in communities around Contra Costa County. We are indebted to Rachel Surls, Ph.D. and the UC Master Gardener Program of Los Angeles County for allowing us to adopt, and adapt, this Handbook for use in Contra Costa County. vi Table of Contents Planning your Garden 1 Site selection 1 Raised beds 2 Growing vegetables in containers 3 Plant selection 7 Getting Started 11 Soil preparation 11 Seed starting 16 Transplanting 17 Composting 18 Wise water use 22 Pest Management 23 Pests in the garden 23 Beneficial insects and other biological controls 25 Pest triangle 26 Weeds 26 Diseases 27 Insects 28 Harvesting 29 Food safety in your home vegetable garden 29 Appendix 31 Principal Parts of a Vascular Plant 31 Principal Parts of a Flower 32 Garden Chemicals; Safe Use & Disposal 33 Resources 35 vii [This Page Intentionally Left Blank] Planning your Garden Site selection Growing vegetables in your home or garden is good for you, your neighborhood, and for helping to reduce your carbon footprint. Growing vegetables at home can be done in a single pot on your patio or on a larger scale depending upon the space and time you have available. Choose the best site for your garden, preferably in a location that is easily accessible from your home. • The size of your garden will be dependent upon available space, the time you have to garden and Raised vegetable beds in a garden setting. U.C. Agriculture and Natural the food needs of your family and Resources photograph neighborhood. • Make a map of the proposed area using grid paper and drawing it to scale. • Make sure the site receives 6 to 8 hours of direct sun per day. • Full sun is ideal for all vegetables. • Root and leafy crops (carrots, turnips, beets, leaf lettuce, spinach, etc.) can tolerate some shade. • Insufficient sunlight can increase disease problems when growing many plants. • Put tall and trellised plants on the north side so that they don’t cast shade on the shorter plants. • Make sure there is an adequate and handy water source near your garden. • Select a level area with well-drained soil. • Soil can be amended with compost or other organic matter to improve quality for greater yields. • Determine plant spacing by the size of the mature plant - their leaves should just be touching. • Most vegetables can be planted over a long range of dates. • Plant new crops once you’ve harvested the first ones. If there isn’t enough room at home for a vegetable garden, consider joining a community garden to grow your vegetables. Community gardens can be found easily throughout the county. To find a garden in your community, please visit our website http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/CommunityGardens/CurrentCommunityGardens ccmg.ucanr.edu UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County 1 Planning your Garden Vegetable Gardening Handbook Raised beds • Easy to maintain without stepping on loose soil reserved for plant roots • Keeps amended soil separate from pathways and unamended soil • Pest control is easier - snails, gophers and two-legged critters • Crop rotation is easier • Ownership of bed is defined in a community or school garden • Easy access for seniors and physically challenged persons Bed depth should be at least twelve inches, or up to 3 feet tall to provide for tomato roots. In order to access the bed from both sides, the width of a raised bed should not be more than about four feet. If you only have access from one side, make the bed no wider than three feet. Raised beds planted intensively and well-amended with manure and compost between crops offer higher yields in less space and are easier to keep weed free. Raised beds allow for early- and later- season planting because the soil warms earlier in the spring and stays warm longer in the fall. Beds can be covered easily with floating row covers to protect crops from pests, frost or summer light intensity. Build a reinforced or “boxed” raised bed using 2x12 redwood Lettuce growing in a raised bed vegetable garden planks for the sides and ends. Fill with amended soil. If you are purchasing “soil,” be cautious because there is no legal definition of topsoil, garden soil, etc. Be sure to look at the material before you purchase it. Do not use just any garden soil because you may be importing diseases, weeds and pests. Amend with 1/3 part each compost and manure. Clumps of compost or clods of soil must be broken up and uniformly mixed together. A permanent sprinkler system or a faucet for irrigation hoses can be attached to the outside of the raised bed. 2 UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County ccmg.ucanr.edu Vegetable Gardening Handbook Planning your Garden Growing vegetables in containers There are seven major considerations in container gardening: 1. How much sun is available? Choose plants according to how much sun or shade they’ll get each day. Most vegetables need at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun every day. Leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, onions, carrots and beets will do okay in partial shade. But plants that bear fruit such as tomatoes, eggplant, squash, peppers need more than 8 hours of full sun. 2. What type of container? Almost any container will do as long as it has good drainage. Smaller containers and unglazed clay pots dry out very quickly in summer. The smallest for outdoor use is probably 8 to 12 inches in diameter and depth. In part shade, you may have success with smaller containers. If you are using recycled containers, scrub them well and rinse in a solution of 9 parts water to one part bleach. If containers are porous (clay, wood, cement) soak them well in water before filling so they won’t act like sponges and pull all the water out of your soil. A deeper container is always better than a wider container because it provides more space for the roots to grow down in search of moisture and cooler temperatures. This will enable plants to thrive during hot summers when more frequent irrigation is required. Containers should be at least 4” deeper than the the length the roots will reach at maturity. Since plants in containers are above ground, the roots are more sensitive to temperature extremes. Midsummer heat can kill tiny hair-like feeder roots. Without these feeder roots, the plant will wilt even if the soil is wet. Then larger roots become very susceptible to root rot fungus that can destroy the rest of the plant. Overheating of the soil is a common cause of failure in container plantings. Thick wood insulates best, dark-colored containers will absorb more heat, and light-colored containers reflect heat. 3. What should you plant? Shallow-rooted crops like herbs, lettuce, green onions, radishes and spinach are easy to grow.